This invention relates to a method of editing configuration data for telecommunications systems and to an editor, a computer, a control module, and a storage means for carrying out this method.
Telecommunications systems, such as switching centers, access systems, crossconnects, network management systems, computer networks, etc., are generally adapted to specific requirements, which are determined by the respective field of application, by means of configuration data selectable within certain limits. Based on such preselected configuration data, control software contained in a telecommunications system can control the telecommunications system in the respective field of application. System configuration options to be specified for a present-day digital switching center, for example, are, among other things, the subscriber terminals to be served by the switching center, the respective numbers assigned to these subscriber terminals, and the telecommunications services that are made available to the respective subscriber terminals. The configuration data of such a subscriber terminal must comply with predefined rules. A number of a subscriber terminal, for example, may contain only numeric characters and no letter characters, and must consist of a predetermined number of numeric characters. Furthermore, it is generally possible to assign a telecommunications service to a subscriber terminal only if the number of the latter belongs to a group of numbers assigned to the respective telecommunications service. For example, services defined for an ISDN telecommunications network (Integrated Services Digital Network) can be provided to the full extent only for an ISDN-capable terminal station. To permit even large amounts of complex configuration data to be edited, i.e., to be displayed for modification, in a convenient manner, use is advantageously made of a specific, computer-executable editor suited for the respective configuration data, mostly in a graphical operating environment, such as Microsoft Windows or X-Windows. On the one hand, such an editor displays configuration data, which are generally present in the form of numerous interrelated tables, in a clearly arranged and convenient manner. On the other hand, the editor also permits inputs relating to the configuration data, namely both new inputs and additions or changes to existing inputs.
Advantageously, the editor checks the inputs. For example, if a data field is provided for a telephone number, the editor will permit an entry in the data field only if this entry contains exclusively numeric characters. The format of the display of configuration data is usually preprogrammed in such an editor. The editor generally forms part of a configuration system. Besides the editor, such a configuration system includes a so-called validation program module, with which the configuration data are checked for validity and consistency after the editing process.
A typical example of a configuration system is presented in European Patent Application EP 0 678 817 A1. There, configuration data are captured by a computer with the aid of a graphical user interface and then subjected to a consistency check, i.e., a validation, by means of a program module. Only then are the configuration data written into a data base and subsequently processed into a state in which they can be loaded into a telecommunications system referred to as a xe2x80x9ctarget systemxe2x80x9d. Both the graphical user interface and the program module for editing the configuration data and the validation rules contained in the validation program module arexe2x80x94as is customary xe2x80x94provided and programmed specifically for the configuration data to be captured, the user interface and the program module being designed in the programming language xe2x80x9cOmnis 7xe2x80x9d. Such a xe2x80x9cfixedxe2x80x9dxe2x80x94programmed editor and a likewise xe2x80x9cfixedxe2x80x9dxe2x80x94programmed associated validation program module are optimized and suited only for the generation of configuration data for a particular target system, so that a specific configuration system must be created for each target system or for each type of target system.
If the requirements to be met by the configuration data change, e.g., because new control software of a telecommunications system requires configuration data of a different form or to a different extent or because new data types for configuring new service features are additionally contained in configuration data, a new editor suitable for the new configuration data must be created or an existing editor must reprogrammed, at least in part, and subsequently compiled. On the one hand, the creation of a new editor is time-consuming and possible only with programming tools. On the other hand, errors can easily occur during such reprogramming, which must be detected by testing the new or modified editor and subsequently be corrected.
It is an object of the invention to edit configuration data for a telecommunications system in an efficient manner according to editing rules suitable for the respective telecommunications system to be configured with the configuration data.
This object is attained by a method of editing, configuration data as performance parameters for telecommunications systems by means of an editor in accordance with editing rules, comprising the steps of: determining a set of editing rules comprising at least one editing rule for editing the configuration data; reading the set of editing rules; interpreting the set of editing rules; reading predefined values for the configuration data; editing the configuration data in accordance with the set of editing rules; and outputting the configuration data.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an editor which comprises: a functional determination unit designed to enable the editor to determine a set of editing rules comprising at least one editing rule for editing the configuration data; a functional read unit designed to enable the editor to read the set of editing rules; a functional interpretation unit designed to enable the editor to interpret the set of editing rules; a functional read unit designed to enable the editor to read predefined values for the configuration data; a functional editing unit designed to enable the editor to edit the configuration data in accordance with the set of editing rules, and a functional output unit designed to enable the editor to output the configuration data.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer for editing configuration data as performance parameters of telecommunications systems in accordance with editing rules, the computer comprising: determination means designed to enable the computer to determine a set of editing rules comprising at least one editing rule for editing the configuration data; read means designed to enable the computer to read the set of editing rules; interpretation means designed to enable the computer to interpret the set of editing rules; read means designed to enable the computer to read predefined values for the configuration data; editing means designed to enable the computer to edit the configuration data in accordance with the set of editing rules, and output means designed to enable the computer to output the configuration data.
In accordance with a yet further aspect of the invention there is provided a control module, particularly a compact disk, a floppy disk, or the like, on which an editor is stored for carrying out the above-described method, and a storage means for storing the editor and for use in carrying out the inventive method in conjunction with a processor.
Further advantageous aspects of the invention are apparent from the description and claims below.
The idea underlying the invention is to design an editor, a program module executable on a computer, in such a way that prior to the editing proper, the editor determines editing rules that are necessary to edit configuration data of a telecommunications system and are stored as different sets of editing rules. The editor then reads a set of editing rules so determined from a memory and edits the configuration data in accordance with the editing rules contained in the set of editing rules. Thus, according to the invention, the editing rules are not contained in the editor itself but are read in anew depending on the configuration data to be checked, and interpreted by the editor. The editing rules comprise, for example, rules for displaying the configuration data, so-called formatting rules, rules defining the relationships between constituents of the configuration data, and rules for checking user inputs. According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the editor determines rules for checking user inputs from a set of validation rules that contains rules to be used by a validation module for validating configuration data. The respective set of editing rules to be used by the editor may be defined in control data that are read and interpreted by the editor. The editor may also determine the respective set of editing rules by means of an identifier contained in the configuration data to be edited.